My best-laid plans didn't work out yesterday, so pardon me for a blog post filled with things that should've been addressed yesterday morning, or even Sunday night.

Blame Delta.

I flew to Kansas City for the Bengals game (more on the trip in a second), with plans to fly back at 6:25am central time. I checked in on Sunday night after the debacle at Arrowhead Stadium, woke up at an hour that no one should be awake for, took an uber to the airport, and....

Noticed that my flight had been moved to 6:46. At night.

I spent ten minutes or so at the counter when it became painfully apparent that, with my original flight canceled, I had no chance of getting on a flight that would get me to Cincinnati in time to be at work by 3:00.

So I rented a car and drove eight hours to Cincinnati, getting in just after 3:00, in barely enough time to host yesterday's show.

But, the time behind the wheel was going to be time I spent blogging. 

Alas, I spent it driving 90 mph and saying silent prayers every time I passed a police officer's car. The troopers in Illinois are very generous with how fast they allow drivers to go.

Anyway, here's some stuff....

*Back to the '90s. If you weren't around to endure the Bengals in the 1990s, Sunday night's game in Kansas City was the closest reminder of what it was like to be a fan in the lost decade.  The same helpless feeling I had watching the Bengals get destroyed by the Chiefs was the one I had while repeatedly watching them get blown out during my high school and college years. 

It's sobering, and even though their record has them squarely in the AFC's playoff hunt, the last two losses were damaging to the psyche of a fan base that's wanted to buy in, but needed some sort of un-Bengal-like emphatic victory to inspire belief.

Instead, a week after handing the Steelers a game at home, the Bengals were as uninspiring as they've been in a long time, which includes the two blowout losses last year to Chicago and Minnesota.  

I see an offense right now with no clear identity, and no creativity, led by a quality quarterback who just doesn't have the capabilities to carry a team against a good opponent. They have no idea how to use Joe Mixon or John Ross, and they're way too passive in allowing opposing defenses to dictate how they'll play.

I see a defense that's very underwhelming. There's nothing intimidating about these guys, little that you can bank on from that side of the ball on a weekly basis. 

And it just feels like tackling issues have been a recurring theme with this head coach.

I still have them at 9-7. I would not be stunned if they made the playoffs. But for all the nice, feel-good things that the first five games presented, it's hard to feel anything positive about the Bengals right now. 

*As for Arrowhead....Sunday was my first visit. It will not be my last.  Best tailgating scene ever, despite what this picture suggests, and some of the friendliest home fans I've been around (helps when their team is hammering yours). 

Arrowhead has what PBS lacks...character, charm, plentiful, varied food options, and an elaborate display right in the middle of a concourse that celebrates past Chiefs greats, its history, the heritage of the AFL, and an interactive display that allows you to revisit every Chiefs game every played.  It's phenomenal, and I'd geek out if the Bengals ever did something similar. I should've taken more pictures, but my cell's battery had been mostly drained. I did snap off this one, and accompanied it with a twee that left out the word "artifacts."

*David Bell comes home. Yesterday's press conference introducing the new Reds manager was more homecoming ceremony that anything, which is fine.  I thought what Bell said about being aligned with the front office was interesting (C. Trent has a good piece on that here), and more than anything, I'm pleased that the Reds did what so many of us spent the summer begging them to do.

They went on a complete, full, and elaborate search, one that C. Trent goes into with great detail. I was gonna be good with whoever they hired, mainly because I don't think it matters much until the Reds have the pieces.

*Speaking of that, this tweet is interesting...

This, to me, amounts to the first piece of public pressure put on Dick Williams by the owner. It has to be backed by Castellini's wallet, and he needs to not run interference on any moves Williams might make, but it's a directive that he and the team will be held accountable for, and I like it.

*I didn't like Saturday's UC game.  It was maddening, a game the Bearcats should have won, but deserved to lose.  You can't have the early turnovers, and when you have the ball with just over four minutes to go with one of the league's best running backs having a killer day, you need to get some first downs to close out the game.

Dez Ridder's lack of experience caught up with him, and fatigue finally caught up with a defense that for most of Saturday, had been outstanding.

And no, Temple's first touchdown should not have counted.

*Did Urban Meyer looked as checked out to you as he did to me on Saturday night?  

*FC Cincinnati wins. An incredible scene at Nippert that I badly wish I could've been there for, and an amazing run continues.

*Dodgers in seven. I'm taking the team that hits more home runs and that has the better bullpen. Should be a great series though.

Here's some other stuff....

This is a look at the diminished importance of big league managers. 

What do players who win World Series rings do with them?

Ouch: The Cincinnati Bengals are pointless. 

Here's a good look at the Bengals' tackling issues. 

Radio Show: FC Cincinnati's Blake Smith at 3:33, Dick Williams at 4:05, Paul Dehner. Jr. on the Bengals at 5:05.  You and I in between. Join me at 3:05 on ESPN1530.